Vehicles specially designed for street sweeping operations have been used for many years. The vehicle typically has four wheels and carries a main broom which is located behind the rear wheels. The main broom is of cylindrical configuration, extends transversely of the vehicle, and is powered so that it rotates in the proper direction to sweep material forward and underneath the vehicle. A debris elevating system is located within the vehicle and operates in such a manner as to receive debris and rubbish at the street surface forwardly of the main broom, and then raises this material upward and dumps it in a bin that is also carried by the vehicle. The typical street sweeping vehicle also includes a pair of side brooms, known in the trade as gutter brooms, which are designed to gather material from the sides of the vehicle and propel it inwardly so that it comes under the control of the main broom and the debris elevator system.
One of the problems which faces the operators of street sweeping vehicles is the unevenness or irregularity of the street surfaces over which the vehicle must operate. In general, it appears that streets cannot be designed for the most effective operation of street sweeping machines; rather, street sweeping machines must accommodate the existing pecularities of the streets that they are designed to sweep. It has therefore been necessary to design street sweeping machines so that they will readily accommodate themselves to uneven and irregular terrain.
In addition to mere irregularities in the terrain surface, the street sweeping machine also from time to time encounters actual physical obstacles, such as curbs, parked vehicles, and the like. It is necessary for the operator or driver of the street sweeping machine to provide appropriate guidance for his vehicle to avoid collisions or minimize their resulting damage. From time to time undesirable collisions do occur and the vehicle should therefore be properly designed to survive such collisions and maintain its operating efficiency.
As a result of the factors just discussed, wear and tear experienced on street sweeping machines has been considerable. Maintenance requirements have imposed a heavy burden of time and expense.
The object and purpose of the present invention is to provide an improved street sweeping machine which is far less susceptible to wear and tear than previously known machines, and which therefore requires a greatly reduced amount of maintenance time and expense.